Boredom is an underrated superpower

Recently, I spent 6 weeks alone.

During those weeks, I focused on creating more time for boredom without distractions like phone, conversation, or books.

I had some of my best ideas, thoughts, and insights.

Here's how I explain it for myself:

Whenever you're being entertained or mentally engaged, your mind is occupied. Your synapses are busy, and your brain is content.

On the other hand, when you're bored, your brain searches for stimulation. It wants to be used or at least distracted!

Our natural reaction nowadays is to grab the dopamine machine in our pocket - our phone.

But what happens if you resist those outside stimulations? In that case, your brain searches for stimulation within itself.

Those moments can be very painful - especially for people who tend to overthink. Because what is more engaging than overthinking?

But those moments can also bring deep insights, clearness, and unconscious information processing.

If you can create long enough times of inaction or frequent moments of boredom through idle activities, it might hit you out of nowhere:

- That one thing you have been trying to figure out.

- That one thought you haven't been able to grab and formulate.

- That one connection between 2 pieces of information you haven't seen.

At least, this is the case for me.

Since realizing this, I've been trying to create more time for boredom by consciously resisting the constant dopamine temptations around me.

The beautiful thing is: It's too easy to find moments of boredom! Standing in waiting lines, sitting at the bus station, going to the supermarket, etc.

It's just hard to recognize them as a chance for insight and processing and withstand the urge for entertainment.

Sometimes I am more successful doing that, sometimes less.

But nearly always, when I can uphold the feeling of being bored for long enough, I get rewarded.

Try it yourself. Resist distractions and create boredom. You might be surprised by what it does.

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